The Experiment
by That anime-cartoon fangirl
Summary: Akito is done having the Zodiac refuse to obey him, and sets out to make his life easier. He forces scientists to create one animal that will bear the curse for them all. When the experiment goes terribly wrong, they lock up the girl. 8 years later, she manages to escape. Now free, Sage works with the gang to break the curse. Can she, or will Akito catch her before she makes it?
1. Prologue

_**Hey guys! Here's my first Fruits Basket fanfic, so be sure to tell me what you think!**_

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Prologue

The moon slowly glided across the sky, the stars twinkling in the velvet background. Beams of moonlight shone through the  
trees, leaving spots of light on the stretch of grass. A figure sat in the window nearby, watching the shifts in the  
leaves from the wind. His excessively large sleeves hung out the window, and also moved with the wind. His dark gaze was  
watching the lawn intently, as if searching for answers in its green depths, when a knock sounded from his door. Quick as  
a flash, the door slid open and he stood there, his eyes waiting expectantly.

"Well, what information do you have?!" he demanded.

"Sir," the man at the door said. "The trail was lost. She is an expert at evasive maneuvering, and the trail had run cold  
before we found her. She is still in this town, though, searching for something."

"What is she looking for?" The first man straightened up, eyes wary now.

"That is unknown, but as long as she remain withing close quarters, she can be found." the second man replied.

"If you find what she is looking for, bring it to me, immediately." the first man tossed the words over his shoulder as he  
turned back into his room.

"But, Akito, what are we going to do should she run into Kyo-?" The second man was slapped almost instantly.

"Never speak that name in this room." Akito muttered furiously. "The name of such a monster should never be announced in a  
place such as this, understand."

"Yes, sir." the second man placed a hand over his wounded cheek. "But, if she does run into this-." he paused as Akito  
shot him a dark look. "Monster? If the two were to meet, the defiance of those living under Shigure's roof could deepen  
greatly."

"This is true." Akito began to pace slowly, pondering all decisions. "The same would happen if she ran into Hatsuharu, or  
Rin. It is entirely dangerous to leave her to her own devices, which is why she should've been captured the moment she was  
spotted." His dark eyes turned on the man. "I'll give you a week."

"Please, Akito, that is an insufficient amount of time." the second man was bowing. "I must ask for at least a month."

"Too much time; too dangerous." Akito argued, stomping forward to the man. He lifted him up by his collar, and the man  
was forced to look straight into Akito's eyes. "Listen here, you have two weeks to find her. If she isn't returned by  
then, she won't be the only person being hunted down."

"Yes sir." the man sputtered. Akito set him down.

"This is too serious a situation for you to do alone. You need to gather up a few more people. We can't let that-, that  
THING run loose. She's as bad as the other monster, and it's already bad that we have HIM loose too. But I shouldn't  
need to wait much longer on that." Akito had begun mumbling to himself, and he looked up. "Two weeks, and if she should  
find Shigure's house, Rin, Hatsuharu, or the other thing, I will find you."

"I understand, sir." the second man bowed.

"Now get out of my sight!" Akito pointed to the door, and the man backed out, shutting it. "Useless fool!" Akito hissed  
under his breath. "Now she's gone entirely, and should she find the wrong people, this could go very wrong for all the  
Zodiac members."

Rin sat in silence, Haru's sleeping form next to her on the bed. Her eyes were staring out the window and into the night.  
A strange disturbance had woken her, something that she felt not seen or heard. She wasn't sure what it was or why she was  
feeling this now, but she was awake and she would not rest until she knew why she was awake. It must be important.

She stood up, walking over to the windowsill and peering out into the dark. She couldn't make out any movement, and the  
moon provided just enough light to make out the distinct shapes on the grass.

"Hey, are you okay?" the voice from behind and the hand on her shoulder made her jump into the air. Rin whipped around and  
was face to face with Haru. His eyes held concern for her, and she turned back to the window.

"I've slept better." Rin mumbled, and Haru wrapped his arms around her.

"What are you doing looking out the window then?" he whispered into her ear.

"Something woke me up."

"Something?"

"Yeah, a disturbance in the area. A being that's here that shouldn't be. I don't know who or what it is but I can't-." Rin  
broke off as a long, eerie howl from a wolf echoed through the forest. Rin stiffened, and Haru followed suit. They both  
listened to the sad song of the wolf before it slowly died away, and Rin's eyes met Haru's in surprise.

"There's no way." Haru shook his head after a brief moment of silence.

"Are you sure?" Rin demanded, looking back out the window.

"They locked her away in the infirmary somewhere outside of town. The location was unknown, still is, but I doubt that  
is her." Haru replied, but his voice was as sad as Rin felt.

"Maybe it is." Rin suggested anyway. Haru smiled, lifting his head to look at the ceiling.

"I'd like that. No sense in fussing over it now. We can look after school tomorrow." He led Rin back to the bed and laid  
her down, covering her up with blankets before following and rolling over himself. "Sleep, we'll need energy if we do find  
her."

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_**Please review and tell me what you**_**_ think!_**


	2. Chapter 1: First Appearance

**_Hey guys, I'm back! Hope you enjoy this chapter!_**

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Chapter 1

The day was hot, the sun shining down brightly on the grass as Tohru walked, hand-in-hand with Kyo. Rin watched them, her eyes noticing every detail and she saw how happy they were. Yuki walked on Tohru's other side, smiling and talking with the younger girl. She felt unhappiness come off him in waves, but ignored it as Haru came up behind her.  
"Stop staring, you'll give them the wrong idea." he suggested, and then waved the trio over. Tohru ran forward, letting go of Kyo's hand and straight up to Rin, who forced a reluctant smile.  
"Rin, hello! What are you doing at our high school?" Tohru asked, smiling widely. Haru stepped in as Yuki and Kyo hurried over to listen.  
"We need some help." he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.  
"Of course, anything you need!" Tohru said instantly, and Haru gave her a smile.  
"I knew you would want to."  
"What's this all about anyway?" Kyo demanded, striding forward to stand behind Tohru. "You're not gonna get her into any trouble are you?"  
"What? No." Haru shook his head. "We're looking for someone."  
"Does she attend our school?" Yuki asked. Haru shook his head.  
"So why are you here?!" Kyo snapped.  
"We need HELP." Rin emphasized the word and looked at the hotheaded cat sharply. "We thought we heard her in the woods last night, and we have to find her."  
"If she's even here." Haru added. "We're not entirely sure."  
"Great!" Kyo threw his hands in the air. "We're looking for a girl we've never met who's not from here, might not even be here, and we have no idea what she looks like. Well, I say we get started!"  
"Shut up, okay?" Haru said. "If you knew who she was you would be wanting to find her too."  
"Then who is she?" Kyo demanded.  
"Sage!" Rin and Haru shouted together. "Sage Sohma." Kyo's eyes went wide and he fell silent. The silence washed over all of them, and no one spoke for what felt like an eternity.  
"Let's just sit down and talk this out, okay?" Rin asked, sitting. Haru sat next to her, and Tohru and Yuki sat in front of them. Kyo sat down last, his face covered by his orange hair.  
"Last time we saw Sage, she had thick and long black hair." Haru began, holding out pictures from their childhood. Yuki grabbed one and looked it over. "Her eyes were a light green, a little bit lighter than the shade of an evergreen tree. She was fairly short for her age, and her animal, the one they gave her, was a wolf."  
"What do you mean, 'one they gave her?'" Yuki asked, frowning at the words. Rin almost didn't catch what he had said for she was on her feet. Her eyes were scanning the road that was next to an expanse of trees, and she had heard a short howl of pain that had been cut off. It had only registered to her because it was familiar.  
"Rin?" Haru asked, and Rin's eyes narrowed even further. She lifted a hand and pointed to the woods, a smile crossing her serious face.  
"There!" she exclaimed. "She's here." Just as the words fled from Rin's mouth, a large black wolf leapt from the treeline and darted onto the field. "Sage!" Rin shouted, and now Haru stood. The wolf, hearing her name, charged towards Rin and the others in pure fear. That's when the group saw the group of men that were chasing the wolf. "Hey!" Rin shouted, charging towards the wolf. Sage had turned on the men, snarling and scratching as she fought her way free. Rin now had joined the attack and began to fend off the men. Once Haru appeared, the men backed off and ran away. Rin panted, a scratch above one eye, and she glanced at the wolf who was covered in layers of sratches and cuts.  
"Hey, that was a pretty stupid move there!" Kyo called, sprinting over with Yuki and Tohru following. "What would've happened if Haru hadn't of showed up?"  
"Well, I did and I kicked ass so it doesn't matter." Haru was also panting, leaning over and placing his hands on his knees. Sage was panting, but at the sight of Kyo she stiffened, whipped around, and sprinted back into the woods, leaving the group and the knocked out men all where they stood... or lay.  
"Sage, wait!" Rin called, but the wolf had disappeared into the shadows. Kyo stood, stiff, and Rin rounded on him as Yuki and Tohru approached. "It's your fault! She saw you and left!" Kyo's head was down and his fists were balled up. He began shaking violently. "You stupid cat, you're such an idiot! Now she's gone and we might not be able to-!" Haru grabbed Rin's shoulders and yanked her backwards as Kyo's fist went flying for her face.  
"Kyo!" Yuki snapped. Kyo was panting as he swung for Yuki. He turned to Haru, glaring.  
"Hit me!" he ordered. "Knock me out! Can't... control the anger... the Lifelink." Kyo was fighting hard to keep control of himself, and Yuki and Tohru looked baffled as Haru stepped forward and knocked him out with a rough punch to the face.  
"Kyo!" Tohru cried and Haru shook his wrist.  
"He'll be just fine." Haru promised. "We just need to get him back to Shigure's."  
"Are you sure?" Tohru asked.  
"I promise." Haru replied, heaving the taller, orange-headed male over his shoulder. "Let's get moving, he's heavier than I thought."

* * *

"Any signs of her yet? It's already been three days since I gave you the mission, you must have something, Hiroki!" Akito hissed, making sure to keep his voice low in case anyone was listening on the other side of the door.  
"I'm so sorry, Akito." Hiroki was on his knees. "Fogive me. We found her today, in the woods, and we gave chase but she managed into town and we lost her to a group of high school kids." Akito's eyes widened and he whipped around.  
"Who was there?" he demanded. Hiroki was silent. "Dammit Hiroki who was it?"  
"It was Rin and Hatsuharu Sohma. Yuki, Tohru, and Kyo were all there as well. I'm sorry, I didn't mean-!" Hiroki was kicked in the face, sending him sprawling backwards. He held his cheek as Akito towered over him, glaring.  
"You idiot! I strictly told you to do exactly the opposite of that! Can I trust no one?! Are you going to betray me?" Akito spat.  
"No, sir!" Hiroki crawled on his hands and knees to the God's side. "It was an accident, I swear. The girl also ran away once she saw Ky-, the monster! They don't have her!" Akito lifted his head.  
"You're sure?" Akito asked, his voice softer.  
"I promise. I have another group of men tracking her right now as we speak." Hiroki looked up at Akito. The man sighed heavily, eyes closed, as he calmed himself down.  
"All right, Hikori, you're running my patience rather thin, but I trust you to pick up the pace and in three days you'd better have a much nicer report than what you gave me tonight, understand?"  
"Yes, yes sir! Thank you sir!" Hikori back out of the room, shut the door, and turned around, jumping at the sight of a tall man standing over him.  
"I'm Hatori Sohma, a doctor. You needn't fear me, just follow me and I'll see what I can do about your cheek."  
"Thank you." Hakori followed the man away from the room, and he cupped his cheek as to try and stop the pain, yet he wasn't even aware that pain even more intense was yet to come.

* * *

Rin stared out the window of Shigure's house as Tohru set dinner on the table. Haru sat next to her, eating hungrily as Shigure, Yuki, and Kyo all did the same.  
"Rin, are you okay? You don't have to eat." Tohru said, smiling. Not wanting to upset the girl, Rin smiled and began to eat as well.  
"No no, please, I couldn't ignore your cooking." After a moment of silence, Rin looked up at Kyo and sighed deeply. "And Kyo, I'm sorry that I yelled at you today. I didn't mean it, it wasn't your fault." Another moment of silence followed the apology, and Kyo set his food down.  
"I'm sorry... too. To everyone I tried to punch in the face." There was a bandage over the spot Haru had punched him to knock him out, and he gently stroked it.  
"Stupid cat." Yuki muttered. "You need to control your anger next time, what if that had been Tohru instead of Rin?"  
"He wouldn't go for Tohru no matter how mad he was." Shigure reassured him.  
"And I still would've pulled her out of the way." Haru muttered.  
"And what on earth did you mean by Lifelink?" Yuki asked Kyo, and the table fell silent once more. Kyo opened his mouth to speak but Shigure cut him off.  
"Its a story to save for another day. Maybe I'll explain tomorrow, but for now we should all eat and rest. It's been a long day." Rin nodded, scarfing down the rest of her food in an unlady-like fashion before returning to the front door.  
"Uh, Rin, did you want to stay the night?" Tohru asked, and Rin turned to her.  
"That would be okay with you?"  
"Of course!" Rin nodded, cruling up on the floor of the family room. Tohru brought a blanket and laid it over her as Haru joined her. The pair curled up rather closely, and Rin felt his breath on her neck whilst he wrapped an arm around her. She felt his breathing slow, and her mind wandered to Sage. What was she doing running from those men? And why was her Lifelink suddenly stronger? And why had she run when she saw Kyo? These thoughts jumbled into her head as she closed her eyes, and she slowly fell asleep.

Rin awoke to Shigure standing over her, peering down at her with a smile. Rin leapt up, forcing Shigure backwards and glared at him.  
"What the hell were you doing?" she demanded, and Shigure gave her a pretend hurt look.  
"I was waking you up." he whined. "The others' school is nearly out and there's someone here you should see." Rin sat up, a hand on her head, and noticed a girl about her height sitting on her knees in front of her. He hair was down to her waist and her eyes were a light green. She blinked several times before she recognized who it was.  
"Sage?"  
"Good morning, Rin. How many years has it been?" Sage asked cooly.  
"Too damn many!" Rin replied, hugging the younger girl. Sage returned it, and tjhe pair sat in the embrace. Shigure smiled at the reunion.  
"I found her wandering the woods on my way back from town." he explained. "She said she was looking for you Rin, and she slightly recognized me. So I brought her home and she slept on the roof until everyone else had gone to school. Then she just sat there until I woke you up." He stretched his arms over his head. "I'm going to go and get the other kids, you two stay here and catch up, okay?" he nodded to the pair and walked outside the house, humming to himself about high school girls.

Kyo watched as Yuki and Tohru conversed about school as his own thoughts wandered elsewhere. An image of Sage from the previous day appeared in his head, and hisheda then dropped. Did all he do was screw up?  
"Shigure!" Kyo lifted his head as Tohru shouted his name and waved the man over. Haru was already at his side and they had been talking. They approached and Tohru gave a bow. "Hello! What brings you here?"  
"I've come to bring you home." He explained, and Kyo eyed him warily.  
"Say it." he ordered with a sigh, and everyone glanced at him. "Go ahead, tell 'em that Sage is at the house and is going to stay there."  
"How did you know?" Shigure asked as Tohru looked at Haru happily.  
"It's written all over your face." Kyo replied, and he shoved his hands in his pockets while heading homeward. The others followed and Shigure began.  
"You see, Sage is like the other Sohma's, she can transform and all, but not exactly the same either." he started. "She shifts into a wolf, not something in the cycle, and is very similar to Kyo. She wears a bracelet of the same kind on her wrist to keep her from transforming into a large beast. For the sake of your dreams, I'll not describe it. She was an experiment to try and force the entire curse into one human's body, this way Akito could contain the Zodiac without worrying about rebels such as ourselves. However, it backfired. She was only 8 years old when they locked her away. Her only friends were Haru, Rin, and Kyo." Kyo flinched. "They sent her far out of town where no one would ever be able to find her, and locked her in a room with no escape. I guess after 8 years she finally got a chance and took it. I don't know what trouble will befall us from keeping her under our wing, but let's just keep this information away from Akito then, alright?" Shigure smiled.  
"So, can you explain what the Lifelink between Sage and Kyo is now?" Yuki asked, eyeing Kyo.  
"Ah, that." Shigure cleared his throat. "See, with those bracelets their emotions are sort of, connected in a way. If one feels rage so does the other. With this, they may also be able to locate each other if close enough in range. Which is why Sage got angry at Kyo yesterday, as she thought he could've come to rescue her. Thus, she got angry. In turn, the sudden closure between in distance forced their emotions to be even stronger which is why Kyo kept taking swings at people. Whatever emotion one is feeling, the other feels it too."  
"That's so cool!" Tohru exclaimed.  
"Yeah, try going to sleep at night when she's sitting up on the roof fuming." Kyo muttered, and then look at Tohru's distraught face. Sighing, he smiled and ruffled her hair. "I guess it is kinda cool, huh?" She smiled and Shigure opened the door to the house. Rin was on her feet instantly; Sage stood more slowly. Haru, Yuki, and Tohru greeted Rin as Shigure retreated to the far side of the room. Sage and Kyo's eyes met, and the room slowly fell silent. They watched the pair, who only watched each other.  
"Uh-oh." Rin mumbled.


	3. Chapter 2: The Vow

_**Hey guys, thanks to all who reviewed! Here's a new chapter for you all! Enjoy!**_

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Ch 2

The day was warm, and the sun shone down as I waited as patiently as I could. I remembered yesterday, once Kyo had returned home with the others. I watched, my emotions slightly stirring, but I shoved them away and gave him a nod and a friendly smile. "How was school?" I had inquired. Kyo had a taken aback look on his face, but he returned the nod.

"Well enough, thanks." he replied, and the tension in the room seemed to cease; and the others all sighed in relief. I smiled in the present at the thought, and Rin cast a glance at me.

"What are you thinking?" she asked curiously, looking me over with large eyes.

"Just yesterday and finally getting a chance to meet with everyone." I replied smoothly, my eyes still searching the school's entryway as many other kids filed out. I nodded to Rin and we began the trek over. I passed many people taller than me along the way, considering the fact that I was rather short, but it didn't bother me. Not as much as other things. The stares, for instance, that bothered me. The whispers, having wolf ears and being able to hear them, that bothered me. When a pair of males, much taller than myself or Rin walked directly in front of us to block our path, that bothered me. I lifted my head angrily. "Move." I ordered in a low voice.

"Wow," the first one smirked. "Cute and bossy, how adorable." I balled my fists as the second one laughed with him, and felt anger course through me. Then, for some reason, fear took over. I didn't know what people were like in the city, how they acted, or what they did. How was I supposed to react to this

"How does coming with us sound?" the second one asked, and the pair simultaneously took a step forward. Rin and I took a step back, and Rin glared. I swallowed roughly, unsure of what to do. They loomed over us, much taller and stronger; now what?

"Hey!" It was Kyo, and he bolted over at top speed, Tohru and Yuki struggling to keep up through the crowd.

"Well, if it isn't little Kyo." the first one said mockingly as the orange-headed boy skidded to a stop, panting.

"Back off, they're with us." he said between gasps.

"What are you gonna do about it?" the second one asked, reaching for Rin. It didn't even take a second before Haru and I both had punched the man on either cheek in perfect unison. He fell to the ground and Haru jumped for him, elbowing him in the face. I felt someone grab my arm, and turned to the first man. I stomped roughly on his toes, then dug my elbow into his stomach. I felt him being pulled off me, and I saw that Yuki had jumped and kicked him in the face, sending him sprawling backwards. Kyo was watching with a glare, but I didn't care about him not interfering. I saw the way he was standing in front of Tohru, protecting her; and I was far more worried about those who actually fought.

"Nice moves Sage." Yuki said as I helped him to his feet. "You're a natural." I smiled, helping Haru as he helped Rin.

"Haru, Rin, and Kyo and I all trained for a little while. When I got locked up-." I was cut off by Tohru.

"Is everyone alright? Are you hurt? Do you need bandages?" she was frantic, running around and inspecting us all. I smiled.

"If anything, I'm pretty sure those guys got the injuries." I said, pointing to the pair of perverts that were limping away. Haru laughed, an arm protectively draped around Rin. I looked over and saw Kyo and Tohru holding hands. I wasn't fazed by the fact that I was alone, I just felt really out of the loop here.

"Miss Sage," a soft voice asked as we began walking, me taking up the rear. I turned and saw Yuki slowing his pace to match mine. "Are you doing alright, you're awfully quiet after such an exciting event."

"I'm just not used to the city life." I explained, smiling. "I'm not too bad with fighting, and I can defend myself pretty well, but when those guys appeared all I felt was fear; I was just frozen in place by it."

"That's what Kyo said, too." Yuki said, lowering his voice so no one overheard. "He said that he was suddenly angry, which we all had considered normal, but when he fell to his knees and explained it as fear, he just pinpointed your location and took off without another word."

"Wow." I said softly, remembering that we had the Lifelink.

"It's ok to be afraid." Yuki said, his eyes looking forward as I glanced at him. "Even the adults are afraid of things sometimes, and the unknown is definitely something to be afraid of." He smiled at me. "Don't let it bother you." his eyes were closed and his head tilted to one side. I blushed, it was adorable, and smiled back.

"O-ok."

* * *

I washed the dishes carefully, not able to grasp the memory of what a plate looked and felt like, and dried them off, stacking them so Tohru could put them away. It was smooth, shiny, and I loved how it looked too. Tohru smiled at my obvious amazement with plates, and Shigure laughed from where everyone else still remained at the table.

"Plates are that interesting, huh?" he asked, earning everyone's else's attention.

"Just haven't touched one in 8 years." I replied, my eyes still glued to it. Tohru smiled.

"I think it's wonderful." she said, eyes twinkling. I smiled back, and we finished the job quickly. Tohru sat at the table next to Kyo, who gave her a smile, and I opened the back door and shut it, allowing the cool evening air to wash over me. I looked out over the grassy back yard, and gave myself a small smile. I walked out, taking my shoes off, and got into my fighting form. My knees were bent, feet shoulder length apart, and my hands were up and in front of my torso. I struck out with my right hand, then my left, and alternated on a regular basis. Then, I added simple kicks that would hit the stomach or the face depending on my reach. I didn't want to get into my real fighting skills, seeing as how I didn't like to show off, so I just stayed with the basics. I was alert, though, and really wanted to start fighting like I usually would. I was sly, fast, and I kicked and spun a lot. I could easily escape any kind of grasp, and was good with distractions.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I whipped around, my fist already flying towards the person's face without even considering that I was still at Shigure's house and everyone here was a friend. Luckily, Yuki was prepared. He caught my fist in his outstretched palm, giving me a smile. My eyes widened when he finally registered in my head.

"You ARE good." he said, letting my hand drop.

"I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, bowing several times.

"No, please," Yuki said, raising a hand and shaking his head. "I should apologize. I'm the one who startled you." he paused before bowing deeply. "I'm sorry, Miss Sage. I hadn't meant to frighten you?"

"What's with this guy?" I thought. I then smiled. "It's fine, really." I told him, returning to my form and raising my hands, breathing in and out. I felt something brush my shoulder and I opened my eyes to see Yuki standing in front of me, copying my form. "What are you doing?" I asked politely.

"You can't train very well by yourself." he smiled. My eyes widened and he lowered back into form. "Go ahead, you can start any time." Blinking, I swung a fist straight for him. He blocked it, but I don't think he expected me to move as fast as I had for I was quickly behind him, and I dropped to the ground. Lifting myself with one hand, I spun and knocked the back of his knees in, making him buckle forward. I twisted further, switching hands and then pushing off the ground and landing on my feet. Yuki's purple eyes held surprise before he closed them and smiled. "Wow, you're pretty good."

"Well, I have been training a while." I admitted. "I made up some of my own techniques that are easy to learn and not easy to avoid." I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment.

"Maybe you could teach me sometime." he suggested, getting up and dusting himself off. "However, it's getting late and we should be getting some sleep." We walked inside and found Kyo, Tohru, and Shigure sharing tea at the table.

"Sage." Shigure said. "I noticed that you went to the school with Rin today to fetch everyone. Do you think that is a wise idea?" he asked. "What if the word had gotten to Akito, or those men came and attacked again?"

"They didn't, and we had Kyo, Haru, and I right there." Yuki retorted. "I doubt anything would happen."

"Why are you all dirty?" Kyo asked, noticing the dirt from where he had landed on the ground.

"Because I was being productive, something you should try yourself." Yuki said quietly, eyes closed as he obtained a glass of water. I was suddenly swept over with anger, and I looked over at Kyo.

"Shut up you damn rat! I'm productive, I'm more productive than you are so just shut up!" His anger was flowing through me fully now, and I almost couldn't control it. I was shaking, and to force myself no harm to others, I collapsed to my knees, panting. The anger began to fade as worry took over Kyo. "Hey, are you okay?" Kyo asked, standing. Yuki turned and Tohru went pale.

"Is she hurt? Are you alright?" she demanded, rushing to my side.

"Think of a lie!" I commanded myself. "Hurry!" I picked up a miniscule piece of glass from the floor, smiling. "Just didn't want anyone to step on this." I said, throwing it away.

"Are you serious?" Kyo asked. "How the hell did you even notice that?"

"I'm a wolf." I retorted. "My senses are a lot sharper than your cat ones." Kyo rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"I'm tired, I think I'll sleep." Shigure said, yawning and stretching. "Speaking of which, Sage where will you be sleeping?"

"I can sleep outside." I offered. "I'll only be a bother in here."

"Nonsense." Yuki said. "You can sleep in my room. I'll make myself a bed on the floor, and you can sleep on my bed, alright?" With the smile lighting up his face, it was pretty hard to say no. I was a wolf, inwardly, so outside would always be more appealing I guess, but now it was really appealing. I mean, I was following an older male, a highly attractive older male, up some stairs so I could sleep in his room. Three days ago while being trapped in my cell, the idea would've seemed impossible. Yuki opened his door, allowing me to walk into the room first, and I peered around as he took a blanket and laid it out. He took one of the many pillows on his bed and let it fall next to the blanket as I looked out the window and at the moon that was shining overhead. I felt my brain slowly find memories of the past when the moon was full. Only when it was full could I see it through the small opening in the ceiling above my head. I used to sing songs, as softly as I could so that the guards weren't alerted. It gave me hope that someday I would get out of this mess. And through years of rainfall and wind erosion to that small hole, and of course the moon's light, I managed to squeeze through that very hole and escape. The days I had wandered around the woods and finally into town the moon had been my only friend. Even now, it would watch over me in this house, and give me hope as long as I had faith in it.

"Goodnight." I whispered before retreating to the bed.

"Did you say something?" Yuki asked, and I looked at him. "Yes, I said I would be more comfortable on the floor. It doesn't seem right."

"Well I would feel terrible if I let you." Yuki argued with a smile. I thought for a minute before placing another blanket on the floor and laying next to him. I smiled, laying my head on the pillow.

"Goodnight." I said, rolling over. Yuki only chuckled.

"Sleep well." I nodded at this, closing my eyes and letting the exhaustion of today catch up with me. As soon as the sleep hit, so did a dream; a nightmare of the past.

"What a hideous creation." the voice whispered in my ears. "It's a failure to us all." another voice chimed in. "Lock it up." This voice was Akito's. "Such a thing shouldn't be free." This was the conversation I had overheard before I ran to Rin and Haru. They had been with Kyo in the yard, and I ran out crying. My mouth formed the word help, but it never came out. I just choked; Rin darted forward as a hand clamped over my mouth. My wide eyes met the frightened ones of Kyo as he was also taken away. But where was he going? I saw them throw him out the main house's gate and a firm voice yelling at him. I hoped that this was my result, but instead I blinked and found myself stuck in the cell. The very same cell designed to hold me in place for the next 8 years of my life. The drip, drop of water falling from the ceiling was familiar, the echoing footsteps of the guards outside was familiar. I didn't want to relive the next 8 years of my life. Instead, I blinked and was running through the woods in my wolf form with a bundle of clothes in my mouth. There was brush rustling behind me as men struggled to catch up. There was noises overhead as though someone was following me from above. There were the screeching sounds of animals in the woods trying to get away from us, and the sound of crickets playing a sad tune. The moon grew larger and larger, the light blinding the men behind me and slowly gaining on me. The moonbeams finally caught me, and they seemed to entangle around my feet. The picture changed to the small bluff overlooking Shigure's house, and I saw Tohru and Kyo in the window talking with Yuki. A large wrecking ball was there, and I watched, frozen in horror and unable to move as the ball moved and smashed the house. I gasped, trying to scream only to find myself underwater. No way was up, there was only water everywhere, and I spun rapidly in my wolf form in search of air. Then, I came face to face with Hatori. He was in the form of a seahorse, and his eyes were glaring at me still. I watched as he quickly grew in size, his eyes turning a red color, until he became a large red dragon itself with huge claws and teeth. Hatori had been a close friend, so seeing this terrified me. He opened his mouth and released a large plume of flames.

I sat up, gasping heavily, drenched with sweat. I gulped in large portions of air, and threw myself at the window. I opened it and let the cold night's air wash over me.

"Right here." I thought to myself, looking at the moon. "I'll make a vow right here and now. I will not let Akito or anyone else harm any of the Zodiac, or anyone affiliated with it." I thought of Tohru, and the Kazuma Sohma, the dojo master with the family. "I will protect them all at the cost of my life." I turned and saw Yuki sleeping peacefully, and I smiled, turning back to the moon. "Yes, even at the cost of my life, I promise."

* * *

**_Well, what did you think? Please review and tell_**** me!**


	4. Chapter 3: Leaves of the Past

**_Chapter 3 anyone? Haha, enjoy!_**

* * *

Ch 3

Kyo yawned, sitting at the table and stretching his arms over his head. It was a day off from school, and he was pretty happy about it. Nothing about school was intriguing to him, let alone exciting. It was all boring school work of which he wanted nothing to do with. He needed something fun every now and then, and planned on taking Tohru out for the afternoon and then treating her to dinner. Today, he decided, was going to be a good day. He froze when he heard footsteps pounding down the stairs and Yuki slammed his feet onto the ground as he jumped from the stairwell. He ran into the kitchen, and Tohru and Shigure turned to him.

"Yuki." Tohru exclaimed. "You're up and awfully energetic." She smiled. "Good morning."

"Have you seen Sage?" he demanded. Tohru blinked.

"No, why is she missing?" Shigure answered for her.

"Yes, I can't find her anywhere!" Yuki said.

"I'll help you look upstairs." Tohru offered, and the two rushed away. Shigure gave the grumpy Kyo an amused glance.

"They completely forgot about your Lifelink, didn't they?" he asked.

"Hey, Kyo, can you locate her?" Kyo began role-playing with himself as he stood. "Yeah man, she's in the backyard. Wow, thanks! Hey, no problem, I'm just glad she's okay." Kyo walked out the door, closing it behind him, and he saw Sage standing on the edge of the lawn, watching the trees and the leaves as they fell off. A bird swooped down from the trees and landed on her shoulder, chirping as she glanced at it. "What are you doing?" Kyo asked, walking forward and standing a little ways behind her. The bird looked at him, squawked loudly in fright, and took off, flapping its wings rapidly.

"The birds and the leaves are the same; are different." Sage said softly. Kyo opened his mouth to tell her to quit babbling nonsense but she swept on in her quiet way. "They're different creatures of course. But they're both masters of the sky, riders of the wind." She turned to Kyo and looked at him with somber, green eyes. "They're both _free_." she emphasized her last word. She looked down at her wrist where the beaded bracelet similar to Kyo's held itself in place. "They're not bound by this curse. They're not forced to wear scars of the past. They're not stuck with this other form to take the shape of a monster!" She grabbed the bracelet, and Kyo knew from the wave of emotion he got that it was about to be ripped from her wrist. He leapt forward, holding it in place. Sage looked up at him. "They're not a mistake, like me. It's my fault. Some other person, another child will be born after I die. And they'll have the possibility of becoming the mistake that I am."

"You're not a mistake." Kyo began.

"You're right." Sage said. "I'm just a failed experiment, and because of my existence another baby will be born into this curse, and we'll have two people with true forms. Don't you understand that?" Sage's eyes were wide.

"Unless we can break the curse." Kyo said softly, and Sage just stared at him. "Rin is already trying, and that's the reason we're all living under Shigure's roof. He is the closest and the most distant from Akito at the same time. And possible the most opposed to him and the most ready for the curse to be over. He said it was unraveling itself, but even if it is, who knows how long that could take, and high school will be over for us all very soon. We have to be ready." Kyo looked down at her as his gaze had wandered. "Will you help us?"

"In every way I can." Sage promised, and Kyo couldn't help but to hug her. Yuki and Tohru chose that moment to come outside, and Yuki sprinted over.

"Miss Sage, are you alright?" he asked, pulling her from Kyo's embrace.

"Fine, let's go inside." Tohru accompanied them, and she sat Sage down and made a bit of tea for her. She drank it as Tohru frowned.

"Tohru, you okay?" Kyo asked. "You don't usually wear that expression."

"Yes, I was just wondering how you could've been an experiment through your parents. Did they let you?" Sage's eyes widened, and she spit the tea out, sending it across the table.

"Crap!" she squeaked, standing. "I'll get a towel!" She ran into the hallway as Shigure smiled.

"They didn't let her." he said softly as Tohru stood to go after her. "They MADE her."

"What?" Yuki asked as Tohru turned to him in horror.

"Her mother loved her very much." Shigure began. "She was an only child, so her mother was also very protective. The father, however, wanted nothing to do with the child. He wanted it to be just him and the wife, and was prone to jealousy and anger. When the wife had to take a business trip, she was forced to leave the child behind with the father. When Akito brought up the idea, and promised to pay the man, he willingly gave the baby to him. They child became the experiment, and they screwed it up. She then was forced to live in the Sohma building under Akito's supervision, and when he found out about her second form, Kyo was discharged from the house and went to live with Kazuma. That's why you ended up there." Shigure addressed Kyo who only stared at him. "The only reason that he wasn't locked away was because they only had the one cell at the time, and considering that the child was an outsider originally, they locked her up. The mother got divorced, but has never seen her child again. The child has never known her mother, and grew up in that cell. She trained herself in martial arts those 8 years in the cell, and grew up to become-."

"Me." Sage said, returning with they towel and cleaning up her mess behind hazy eyes. Yuki watched sadly, remembering her words.

"_Well, I have been training a while. I made up some of my own techniques._" her words echoed in his head from the night before. Kyo only watched her as she moved.

"_They're __**free**_." her words whispered in his ears. How could she have smiled all this time? She was like Tohru!

Tohru herself had tears in her eyes as she hugged the girl. Sage only glanced down at Tohru, hugging her back and then looking her in the eyes.

"I only came to this town because of Kyo, Haru, Rin, and you." Sage admitted. "I'd heard that you've helped to solve everyone else's problems, and help them move on. Now, I want you to help me. I'm scared of my past and of the future, and I'm scared of what this curse is doing to the innocent people trapped in it. I want you to help me break it." There was a brief moment of silence. "Do you think you can help me?" Tohru smiled. It was a warm smile of love and pity, and she hugged Sage once more, nodding.

"We'll do everything we can." she promised

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**_Please review!_**


	5. Chapter 4: Kidnapped by Shadows

**_Hey guys! Here's chapter four, enjoy!_**

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Ch 4

"Hiroki you must have brought me good news." Akito said, glancing at the man as he kneeled. "You have been hesitant to approach me otherwise. What is it?"

"I just wanted you to know that we have found what she is looking for." Hiroki explained, smiling.

"Well, what is it? Spit it out!" Akito snapped.

"Tohru, Tohru Honda. That girl living with Shigure that knows about the curse?" Hiroki prompted.

"I know who she is." Akito muttered. "I just want to know why she would go looking for Miss Honda?"

"She knows, or we believe so, that Miss Honda has helped the other Zodiac in the past and is maybe looking for help as well." Hiroki offered.

"Don't let her find Tohru then!" Akito hissed, rounding on the man. "Should she learn of Shigure and Kyo's location then that would be disastrous. She would learn of their small rebellion and join them, only making it twice as hard to obtain her and lock her back up."

"Sir, she knows of Tohru's school, so she might even be aware of her location." Hiroki mumbled.

"Find that out for sure." Akito ordered. "And bring Tohru Honda to me at once. Find a suitable place to keep her until we convince Shigure to hand over Sage in return."

"You truly are smart, sir." Hiroki stood. "I never would've thought of that."

"Flattering, but won't work." Akito said. "Now hurry along, the sun will set soon and your window of time will begin."

* * *

It was around the time that Yuki's school was getting out, and I didn't give a crap much about Akito or anyone affiliated with him, so I walked down there alone everyday. I leaned up against the same old fence post, and the first to arrive was usually Haru and Rin. They were close friends and such an adorable couple that it brightened my day every time I saw them. Yet, today was a surprise all on it's own.

"Sage?" I looked up at the voice and saw a tall boy with shaggy blonde hair standing over me. I stepped back, frowning and uneasily glancing at him.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" I asked politely, yet just as reluctantly.

"It's me, Momiji." he said, and instantly the large brown eyes, the hair, and the face all fell into place and I recognized him.

"Holy crap, you've grown!" I exclaimed, hugging the boy.

"So have you!" Momiji argued. "The last time I saw you it was what, 8 years ago?" I nodded. "I can't believe they let you go."

"They didn't; I escaped." I faltered. Momiji glanced at me; I expected him to leap back in horror and contact someone at the Main House. Instead, he gave me a smile.

"It's about time." he said, ruffling my hair. "I've missed you all those years believe it or not." I smiled.

"You're not gonna sell me out?" I asked.

"Why would I do that?" He asked, smiling with his eyes closed and tilting his head. "No, I think I want to come home with you to Shigure's house today."

"No, bad idea." Kyo interrupted, and we turned to see him, Yuki, Tohru, Haru, and Rin walking towards us. "Haru and Rin are already coming over."

"Good." I smiled, turning to Momiji. "We're having a party I guess, wanna come?"

"No!" Kyo snapped. "That's not what I said."

"I know." I replied. "Well?" I asked the blonde-haired boy.

"Sure, sounds like fun!" he said, and we began trekking home, Kyo giving an exasperated sigh. "Will there be food?" We all stopped as Tohru did, turning pale.

"Aw, why'd you have to ask that?" Kyo asked, slapping his palm to his forehead.

"Hey, it's okay!" I said, standing by Tohru. "Rin and I will help you cook something up." I said, and Rin nodded. Tohru instantly looked a little more relieved.

"But, we don't have much food." Tohru said.

"Do you have rice balls?" Momiji asked.

"I think we have the ingredients for that." Tohru mumbled to herself, thinking.

"Then that will do just fine." Momiji assured her. Kyo grasped Tohru's hand.

"C'mon, let's just get home okay? Then we can worry." he pulled Tohru along and the rest of us followed. As we walked along through the woods, I saw shadows move and slip behind trees. My eyes switched back and forth as Momiji walked on one side of me, conversing quietly with Yuki. There was something in the woods, or someone. They were following us, or maybe it was just me. I wasn't sure, but it was surely ticking me off. Kyo stopped and turned to me, and the rest of the group also stopped.

"Calm down, Sage." he said. "I don't know what's gotten into you, or why you're so upset, but you need to calm down." Everyone's attention was now on me. "You have to remember that part of the experiment made you able to change at will, so if you don't-." he never got to finish because there was a puff of black smoke and my large wolf figurine had shoved my nose to the ground. "Sage!" Kyo snapped.

"Hold on." Rin glared at him. She knelt next to me as I continued sniffing, and scratched the back of my neck. "What is it?" The hair along my spine lifted as I looked into the woods and directly at a figure as it froze. "Who is that?" Rin hissed, and Kyo and Haru leaned in. Yuki stepped forward to lay a hand on me when the figure moved. I shot forward, following the man in black as he fled. My paws raced over fallen leaves and tree roots as I made a mad dash for the man. I gained on him, and the wind seemed to sail beneath my feet as I leapt for him, knocking him to the ground. My green eyes were slits as I stared down at him, drawing in his scent and placing it into memory. I snarled but remained a firm grasp on him as I waited for someone else to get here and unmask him. My ears twitched as a twig snapped behind me, and I turned to see another man in black. He held a large stick with a spike protruding from it, and swung it right into my side. I howled with pain as the spike cut through flesh, and I fell onto my opposite side as the men flew. I whimpered, looking at the wound. Blood poured from it and I felt myself slowly losing consciousness. Black spots appeared in my vision, and my eyes slowly closed.

* * *

My eyes opened, peering around the room. I was in Shigure's kitchen, and there was a lot of people here. My vision still blurry, I was able to make out Haru, Yuki, Momiji, and Kyo because of their hair colors. No one else stood out, well, almost no one else. There was a man leaning over me and working on the wound that hurt like hell. I recognized his hair, the way it fell and covered one eye, and the way he always seemed to be glaring or serious. My vision slowly cleared, and so did my throat as I attempted to speak.

"Hatori?" I asked, gathering the attention of everyone in the room. The man looked down; it was Hatori.

"You've gotten yourself into quite a mess here." he scolded me.

"Nice to see you too." I muttered, and he smiled slightly.

"Yes, 8 long years Sage. And from what I hear, you've escaped."

"Yeah."

"And Akito's looking for you." I glanced up.

"What?"

"Yep." Hatori sat back, taking a break from wrapping up my waist in bandages. "He's got a small troop of men after you led by someone named Hiroki." I stiffened and Hatori glanced at me. "That's your father, isn't it?" he asked.

"Bastard." I whispered.

"If only you could show emotion by crying." Hatori said, going back to work. "You'd be a lot more loveable; you just seem heartless."

"Thanks." I muttered.

"Wait, you can't cry?" Kyo asked.

"No, another screw up from those at the lab that worked on her." Hatori said. "Her tears are able to heal anything in the world, injuries, scars, possibly even the curse." The room went deathly silent. "They had to genetically alter her so that she wasn't physically able to cry; they didn't want to take a chances. Well, correction, Akito didn't want to take any chances."

"That's terrible." Momiji said. I looked at her somber gaze.

"It's nothing to get worked up over, okay?" I asked him. "I'm fine with it, I don't care. When i do figure out how to cry, we can break this damn curse and be over with it." Momiji and the rest of the room smiled.

"That's a positive way to think about it." Hatori deadpanned, and I glared at him.

"You didn't miss me at all, did you?"

"You wouldn't know that." he retorted lightly.

"You wouldn't SHOW that." I explained, and he looked at me.

"Maybe I should just put you to sleep and make this easier." he offered.

"You wouldn't dare." I widened my eyes.

"Try me." Hatori suggested, and I folded my arms over my chest and pouted silently. The room laughed and warm amusement showed on everyone's faces. Hatori wrapped the last of the bandage around me and clipped it into place with a small pin. That's when I realized it.

"Where's Tohru?" The amusement left and tension spiked. I felt anger wash over me, and I looked over at Kyo whose face red with anger was looking at his feet. Yuki kneeled next to me.

"When you went after that guy in the woods, Haru, Rin, and I all went after you. Kyo wasn't prepared to face the man behind that gave a surprise attack, and Tohru was taken. I assume she's at the Main House, and Shigure's going to retrieve her tomorrow."

"That'll be too late!" I said, standing up and squeaking with pain. Hatori and Yuki moved into place, ready to catch me if I fell, but I moved towards the door.

"You're far too injured to do any rescuing tonight." Hatori ordered. "Shigure will get her tomorrow. What you need is rest."

"It's my fault she's in this mess." I snapped. "I have to save her."

"It's actually my fault." Kyo said. "I should've been more prepared."

"If I hadn't left, there would've been no need to be prepared!" I retorted icily, and Kyo stared at me, taken aback.

"Rest." Hatori told me, laying a hand on my shoulder. "You can think it over tomorrow." Yuki took my other shoulder.

"I'll make sure she goes to sleep." he promised, leading me up the stairs. He helped me onto his bed and then he tucked me in. I didn't argue about it being unfair, just closed my eyes. He lay on the floor and I waited. As a wolf, my patience came from waiting for prey on a hunt. I could wait for hours on end if I had to. I waited for at least two hours before Yuki's breathing had slowed greatly. I stood up, laying the pillows under the covers so that it looked as though I was still sleeping. I tiptoed over to the window, opening it and looking out. I crawled out, stepping onto the roof and glancing across the front yard. No one was awake as far as I was concerned, and I sat on the edge, prepared to jump off.

"If you're going to save her, you're taking me with you." A voice said, commanding.

"Kyo, you just scared the crap out of me." I told him. "And if you're coming, lower your damn voice!" He glared at me with red eyes before leaping from the roof and landing on his feet. I rolled my eyes, landing on my rear. He grinned triumphantly. "Cats." I muttered as we ran up the road. "Any idea where they would keep her?"

"The room where they usually lock up the cat." he replied grimly. "But I can't get in without Akito noticing."

"I'll handle that." I told him. "You just work on getting her out of there."

"How can you do that without being caught?" Kyo asked.

"I won't. Getting caught is a part of the plan." I replied.

"But-."

"Tohru is far more important to you all than I am. She has a better chance of breaking the curse than I do, and you'll need her more than me." I argued. There was a brief moment of silence.

"Try telling that to Yuki." he responded.

"What does he have to do with this?" I demanded.

"Nothing." Kyo sighed. "If you can't see it, I won't explain it. Just try not to get caught, alright?"

"No promises." I replied as we entered town. I led the way to the Main House, using a small opening in the fence to get inside. We crept over and behind a second hedge that overlooked Akito's quarters and the cat's cell. I nodded to Kyo and stood up.

"What are you doing?!" he hissed.

"Once I go inside, you'll have a very limited time frame." I said. "Chances are he'll want to talk, but the guards will all assemble outside. That's your cue to get in, get her, and then get the hel out of here."

"You can't be left alone." Kyo argued.

"Tell Rin and Haru I'll miss them." I said, ignoring him. "And Yuki and Hatori too. Actually, just tell everyone that." I strode over to Akito's door, knocking lightly on it.

"Come in, whoever you are, but you'd better have a good explanation." came a voice. I opened the door and walked in backwards. "Show yourself, or I'll call my guards." Akito ordered, and I shut the door before turning. Akito's eyes widened before he smiled. "Sage, what a pleasure to see you here."

* * *

Kyo opened the door to the cat's cell once no one was around. Sage had been right, all the guards had gone over to Akito's room and surrounded it. He found Tohru tied up in a corner, and quickly broke the ropes. Tohru had been sleeping, and looked healthy and unhurt. Maybe a little uncomfortable, but otherwise fine. Her soft brown eyes opened and they widened in surprise.

"Kyo?" she asked, and he held a finger to her lips. He yanked on the last rope and grabbed her hand, pulling her up.

"We can't talk here, c'mon." He opened the door, looking around and then pulled Tohru into the cover of the hedge. The pair snuck along the wall until they found the opening. He shoved her through and followed, and they walked hand in hand back to Shigure's house. The lights were on, and when they entered, everyone was sitting around the table: Momiji, Shigure, Hatori, Haru, Rin, and Yuki. They all stood in unison, and Kyo led Tohru to the table.

"Are you hurt?" Hatori asked the question on all their minds.

"A little shaken up but I'll be okay!" Tohru said, and the room sighed.

"And Sage?" Hatori asked Kyo.

"Sage?" Tohru asked in confusion, turning. "She went with you." Kyo stood, sighing and thoroughly upset with himself.

"She told me that she was going to risk herself as long as I could save Tohru. I don't know if she made it out." He admitted, only to stumble backwards as Yuki punched him in the face.

"Kyo!" Tohru cried, kneeling next to the hotheaded cat as he held his stinging cheek.

"You had the nerve to go with an injured girl younger than you into a situation that dangerous and not bother to keep an eye on her?!" Yuki demanded, and Hatori pulled him back.

"That's enough. We can't do anything now." he reminded the young Prince.

"We'll just have to wait." Momiji said.

"Sage once told me that if were ever in doubt to rely on the moon." Haru said, and the entire room looked up and out the window at the moon as it hung overhead. "She said it gave her hope and was her guide." There was a moment of silence.

"Maybe that's just a wolf thing." Kyo suggested blankly.

"It's all we have to hope she comes home." Rin said.

"I'll see what I can do tomorrow. For now, all of you got get some rest." Shigure said, and everyone but he and Hatori retreated to a room. Hatori lit a cigarette and glanced at the writer.

"Do you really believe that Akito will give Sage up?" he asked.

"Not at all, I was just reassuring them." Shigure admitted, glancing at the moon; Hatori followed his gaze. "For now, we'll just hope.

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**_Sorry about the cliffhangers, I'm not fond of those myself! Please review what you thought!_**


	6. Chapter 5: Escape

_**Hey guys, I'm here to get rid of the cliffhanger! Chapter 5!**_

* * *

Ch 5

My eyes were full of anger as I looked Akito straight in the face. He stared back at me equally as angrily, and we remained this way for several moments. He finally smiled, tilting his head to one side.

"Sage, I thought you knew better to stick your nose into places it didn't belong." he said.

"Well, you know, I was in a jail cell for 8 years." I retorted icily, hoping that Kyo had already gotten Tohru out and to safety.

"Oh, that must've been a terrible experience for both of you." he said, getting to his feet.

"Both of us?"

"Tohru, you know, she's currently staying in the cat's cell." Akito glanced at me slyly. "It's a shame you had to come tonight, I was going to free her in exchange for you. Now, I guess she is going to stay here."

"Is she?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. Akito glanced at me, glaring.

"Let me guess, she's being broken out right now?" he asked.

"How would I know?" I shrugged. "I'm stuck in here talking to the likes of you at the moment." Akito only smiled.

"Yes, that does seem to be such a bother, doesn't it?" He asked, and at that moment a group of men burst through both doors and tackled me onto the ground. Roughly, I had my hands tied and was jostled to my feet. "I guess now we can stop worrying about this bother, and you can have the cat's cell for now. We can build up your other one better and make sure you don't have an escape." Akito smiled as they carried me away. "You won't get out again, Sage. Take a good long look at the moon, because it's the last you'll ever see of it." They carried me off, me bucking and kicking, screaming, and the men only silently carrying me off.

* * *

"Akito, I'm asking that you just hand her over. She doesn't have to live with us." Shigure began again.

"And I've told you no how many times?" Akito asked, turning from the window. "She is to be locked away, as planned. It's bad enough we have to wait so long for Kyo to go away too."

"Sage is of no harm to you if she's free." Shigure pointed out.

"What use is she being free?" Akito argued. "She's just another monster, and they don't deserve to live in society like the rest of us."

"She's another human being. She lives, she breathes, her heart beats just like the rest of ours. Tohru and the others miss her greatly, and you don't even know the restraint it took to keep Yuki at the house."

"So Yuki has feelings." Akito shrugged. "That's normal."

"Sage has feelings too." Shigure said, and Akito stiffened, fixing the dog with a glare.

"Well, your time here is over. Get the hell out before I consider you an intruder." Akito turned back to the window as Shigure stood.

"You're cold, Akito. And honestly, I would hurry the building of her cell along. She's going to free herself soon." He opened the door.

"How do you know that?" Akito asked, but Shigure was gone. Akito sniffed. "Incompetent fool."

Shigure waked home, hands in his pocket and his head hanging down. The clouds overhead had finally let the rain fall loose, and it washed over him as he sighed, dragging his feet. He did not want to return and have to look everyone in the eyes while giving them this news. Yuki would surely be upset, and Rin and Haru would be more than angry. He was prepared to have Haru go black and smash some things around, and for Yuki to storm out and go to the Main House. Hatori would be upset, but would accept that it was out of his power to prevent. Tohru would undoubtedly be upset and would feel terrible knowing that Sage had risked herself so Tohru would go free. Kyo was already miserable with the way Yuki and Rin were treating him, and it would only hurt him further. How was this supposed to smooth over? And was he being honest when he told Akito that Sage would free herself? He knew that it was within her reach, she very well could, but would she be willing to risk it? All Sage had to do was remove her bracelet and turn into her other form. She would have not only size but strength and just enough to bust her out of that cell. The catch was that her other form was truly terrifying, enough to give even Shigure himself nightmares, and the last thing Sage wanted was to hurt or scare people. However, it was her only option. All her other choices were exiled basically once Akito had caught her.

Shigure reached the house, opening the door, and looked up to see expectant gazes. Several gazes, all waiting and hopeful. He met each gaze, slowly shifting his own before hanging his head again and shaking it. Tohru began to cry; Rin hugged her. Kyo was forcing tears back, punching the wall next to him and storming out the back way. Haru followed him quickly, trying to get outside before he went black. Lots of crashing sounds and yelling soon followed. Momiji helped to comfort Tohru, his eyes sad and distant. Hatori took a deep breath, trying hard to hide and control his emotions. His head fell and he turned away from Shigure. Yuki only stood, emotions flowing through him, and didn't know what to do. Shigure opened his mouth, closed it, opened it once more, and sighed before shutting the door and going to his room.

"I did all I could." he tried to convince himself, but he only felt as though it was his fault. "But it wasn't enough."

Kyo watched as Haru walked up to every tree, everything and anything in the yard, punching and kicking, yelling, screaming at the sky even. Finally, he went white once more, panting with exhaustion. Kyo walked over to him, laying a hand on his shoulder as he sat on his knees on the soggy ground. Haru shook his head, glancing up at the rain.

"We can't even see the moon; so much for hope." he mumbled, and it looked like he was trying to talk with Sage herself. "Please, come back."

Yuki watched as Rin and Momiji led Tohru up to her room, comforting her. His purple eyes were full of sadness, and regret. This had happened just when Sage was beginning to grow on him. She couldn't help but to do so, entirely on accident, but he liked it. He liked her. She was sweet and caring in a similar way to Tohru yet just as hotheaded and stubborn as Kyo at times. She could hold her own, and was able to help others though she couldn't help herself. What was going to happen now? Even in only the four days she had been here, all she'd managed to do was grow a little more on everyone, even the surly Kyo and emotionless Hatori. That was definitely saying something. Now she was gone; what was supposed to happen? Nothing would return to normal, that's for sure. Yuki sighed and went into his room, laying on his bed and holding his pillow to his face. It still smelled of Sage. He breathed in deeply as a tear slowly fell down his cheek.

"Please." he whispered into it. "Don't leave."

* * *

My eyes opened as the night slowly enveloped the outside world. It was time. I stood, not able to move far as the chains bound me to the wall. I snarled, going into wolf form. My forepaws were just small enough to fit through after I pulled for about 30 seconds. I went back into human, pulling my clothes back on. There had to be another way to get free. I looked at my hands, hoping that some idea would come to me. I saw my bracelet resting on my right wrist, and held it up so I could see it. Was it worth the risk? Hatori's loving gaze floated into the back of my mind followed by everyone else's, lastly Tohru's. I sighed, closing my eyes.

"For you." I said to Tohru. "I'll do it for you." My eyes opened, narrowing into slits as I used my teeth to pull it off. I put the bracelet into my mouth as I felt myself shifting into something about the size of a small elephant. I felt my hands enlarge to a pair of paws, and I felt a snout appear where my nose was. My senses sharpened about 5 times their usual, and I sniffed the air. There were two guards outside the door. One was asleep, I could hear his slow breathing, and the other was nodding off by the way he constantly shifted his position. I glanced at my hind paws; the chains had broken in two. I looked towards the side of the cell that face the nearest part of the wall of the Sohma Estate. I shoved myself into a corner, flattened my ears, and charged the wall. With my massive size, my paws broke holes into the wooden floor and i broke the entire cell, smashing it to pieces. Both guards were alert but by that time I was already making my way towards the wall. I gained speed and took a flying leap, tucking my paws underneath me. I landed on the road and instantly took off into the woods. I wanted no one to see me, nor did I want to give them the impression I was headed to Shigure's. I ran up a small incline and stood on a hill that overlooked the estate. Akito was standing outside his room, and he looked up at me. I bared my teeth before slipping into the woods once more. No one pursued me, and I assumed that was because of my form. My eyes glowed a red similar to Kyo's, and my fur was spiked out and for some reason covered in a red aura that looked as though I was on fire, but this only happened in times of fear or anger. A defense mechanism I suppose. Then I remembered the catch about being in this situation. If my bracelet was to come off, I would be stuck in my wolf form for 12 hours, unable to move. I assumed it was about 10 0'clock at night, so I found the road that led to Shigure's house and slowly started up it a ways. I crawled into the woods about halfway up the road and laid down next to the road. I would wait, I had decided. It was not worth scaring everyone at the house. I rested my head on my paws as the rain poured down, whimpering as I felt more alone than I had ever before in my life.

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_**Now she just has to let it wear off and she's home! Please review; thanks for reading!**_


	7. Chapter 6: Kindness of a Stranger

_**Enjoy chapter 6!**_

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Ch 6

My eyes opened, and I yawned as I stretched my arms. Arms. Arms! I swung my arms back and forth, looking at my hands and my feet. I saw that my bracelet had found it's way back onto my wrist, and I stood. Then I remembered that my clothes were in the cat's cell; the broken cat's cell. My thoughts flashed to the night before, and I remembered my escape from my prison. I had been stuck there, in Tohru's place, and I wondered how she and the others were doing. I walked through the woods, quickly moving until I came upon another house. I cloaked myself in leaves and knocked gently. A small maiden girl came out, looking me up and down.

"Good heavens child!" she exclaimed. "What're you doing in such cold weather without clothes." I remembered that it was nearing winter and because of my wolf form I wasn't prone to getting cold easily. Of course, I couldn't explain this so I just began shivered voluntarily and she ushered me inside. "You look like you've been out all night." I only nodded. "Well, my masters are gone on a trip, so I suppose I could give you something to wear seeing as how they took their favorite clothes with them." The woman sat me on a couch and went away into a back room. I looked around the room, noticing the fine antiques laying around and assumed whomever lived here was rich beyond what I could think of. I looked around at the fine furniture, the fancy decor, and even the way the walls were painted was intriguing. The lady came back in, her short black hair curled at the bottom and her blue eyes examining the dress she held in her hands. It was the same light green as my eyes and a short little thing made of fabric that looked close or similar to silk. "Here, try this on, it looks your size." She said, and I noticed that she had a small Irish accent. "Go on now." I hurried into the bathroom, throwing the leaves out the window and changing into the dress. The maid had been right, it was just my size. I looked at myself in the mirror and besides my hair, I looked really good. I walked out and the maid gasped, looking at me. "Your hair, my dear!" she exclaimed, grabbing a hairbrush and brushing out the knots. I sat down and let her work, not knowing what had caused this woman to be so kind to me. She put the brush down and stood me up. "I don't know who you are or where you came from, but you certainly are beautiful. Now, run on home to the lucky man I'm sure is waiting." she winked and ushered me out the door. I walked down the driveway and found the road that led down to Shigure's house. I walked along, happily, glad to be free of my chains. I looked down at my wrists, red rings around them and my ankles. I walked along the bluff overlooking the house, and as quickly as my sore legs would let me, I ran down and inside.

"Hello?" I called, looking around. Shigure came out from his room and Hatori from the kitchen. They both stared at me, wide-eyed, as though they couldn't believe I was standing there. Hatori darted forward and hugged me roughly, and I hugged him back.

"You're okay." he said, murmuring into my hair. I nodded slowly and Shigure coughed loudly. We broke the embrace and turned to him.

"Everyone went to school. They'll be getting out, actually, very soon. I bet if you met up with them they'd be happy." he suggested. I nodded, smiling, and turned to the door. "Oh, wait wait wait. Wear these." he gave me a pair of large, dark sunglasses. I gave him an odd smile before putting them on. "Now you can REALLY surprise them." I rolled my eyes, walking out the door and feeling the sun on my face. I put the sunglasses on the deck, shaking my head and laughing as I walked away. I walked back up the road, and into the schoolyard, taking up my regular fence post. I definitely stood out from the crowd of people who wore their school outfits, and I earned myself a lot of stared, mainly from the males. I considered the reasoning Shigure had given me those glasses ans wondered if they would've been any use.

"Sage?!" The voice was astonished, and very familiar. I turned, seeing Haru gaping at me with Ring, Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki behind her. They all looked over as Haru ran at me, picking me up and spinning me in the air before hugging me tightly.

"Haru, why are you hugging this other girl?" Rin demanded, coming over and pulling him off. "Sage?" her voice cracked before she hugged me. The other three came over quickly as Haru also hugged Rin and I. They pulled away and Tohru hugged me too. I hugged her back, and she stood back and smiled.

"That dress! You're so beautiful!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, I guess she is." Kyo said, ruffling her hair and giving me a relieved smile. "Good to have you back." he nodded to me. Yuki, of course, quickly embraced me and hugged me close.

"Miss S-Sage." he stammered into my ear. "You're alright."

"Of course!" I pulled back, holding his hands and smiling at everyone. "You all have so little faith in me!" We all laughed and Tohru looked at me.

"How did you escape?" My smile faded and I looked at my hands, Yuki's still clasped in them.

"She took her bracelet off, but she had the courtesy to wait the transformation out before returning to us." Kyo said, and I flashed him a grateful smile.

"None of that matters." Haru argued. "What matters is that she's home." He smiled, and led the way home, and Yuki's hand never left mine.

* * *

"Sir, should we go after her?" Hiroki asked.

"No, let them be. She'll have to come back at some point." Akito replied, moving his robe from beneath his feet so he wouldn't trip. "Their rebellions numbers are rising, and once they do, I'll be able to take them one by one until Sage will have no choice but to give herself up."

"Do you think all of the Zodiac will join her, sir?" Hiroki asked.

"I think so, maybe, I don't know." Akito admitted. "I know for sure that Kureno wouldn't leave me. Hatori will, Shigure has. We'll just have to see. As for you, keep your eyes on those who live in that house."

"Yes, sir. We'll have someone always watching." Hiroki promised.

"And don't you dare get close enough for her to catch you again." Akito hissed. "That was a dumb move, even for you!"

"My apologies, sir." Hiroki said. "I won't let it happen again."

"Good." Akito deadpanned as he left. "Moron."

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**_Sorry its so short! Please review!_**


	8. Chapter 7: Moving in With the Rebels

**_Sorry it took so long from my normal update schedule! Here's chapter 7!_**

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Ch 7

The night was brutally cold as the four figures walked towards their house. Yuki's eyes were bright as he and I conversed, Tohru jumping in at points. Kyo remained unusually silent, and his gaze darted all around, watching even the slightest movement beyond us. His gaze caught mine and I held it.

"What?!" he finally demanded, and Yuki and Tohru fell silent.

"I'm just wondering what the hell is going through your head." I replied stiffly. "You're over there all silent, and it's pissing me off."

"Why would MY silence make you angry?" he said coldly.

"Because we're all being happy but your dampening my mood." I retorted just as coldly. There was a moment of silence where we just glared before I took a deep breath. "Okay Kyo, just calm down and tell me what's wrong before we attack each other in the middle of the street." We were on our way back from shopping, and both boys had been holding bags full of groceries. Kyo, once I had gotten angry, dropped his.

"Look, there's been a lot of crime going on in town, okay?" Kyo said, embarrassed. "I'm just on alert so nothing bad happens... again." he added. I gave him a sympathetic glance, laying a hand on his arm and giving it a comforting squeeze. Yuki, for some reason, stiffened next to me as I did this but I openly ignored him.

"I'll keep my ears open. If anyone comes, I'll hear them far before you all." Kyo sighed and nodded. My eyes widened and I smirked. "Like this guy." Kyo and the others looked up as I ducked, a fist swinging over my head. My leg went straight back, kicking the man in the face. I twisted, landing on my feet. The man had regained balance, and I now saw his full appearance. He wore a tuxedo, a pair of shades covered his eyes. His scent was familiar, like the guys that attacked me in the woods, but it wasn't the same ones. These guys were different, with a different purpose. My eyes narrowed, assessing my enemy as he prepared a second attack. I saw the way that his weight shifted onto his rear foot, and I ducked as his leg swung in a wide arch over my head. My arm snaked up and caught it next to my shoulder. I kicked him in the side and punched him in the face with my free arm and leg. Then, I kicked his knee out and he buckled forward, onto the ground where I placed a foot onto his back. "Who are you?" I hissed, only to hear another man approaching. I jumped on the man's back, giving myself enough leverage for a back flip and avoided the second man's fist.

"Sage!" Yuki and Kyo shouted in unison. Leaving Yuki to watch Tohru, Kyo jumped forward to my side, glaring. "You're the guys that attacked us in the woods!"

"No." I deadpanned. "These guys are different, and they have a different reason for attacking and following us."

"Smart girl." the first man said. "My name is-."

"I could care less about your name." I interrupted, placing a hand in the air. "I just want to know what the hell you're doing attacking us."

"Well, more like getting your asses kicked." Kyo said, and I nodded.

"I'm a friend of your fathers." the first man began.

"Damn." I said, shaking my head and smirking. "You bastards just keep showing up everywhere, don't you?"

"Look, we just wanted to tell you that your father wants to see you." the second man said.

"Well, you can tell my father to kiss my ass." I snapped, my anger overflowing, and Kyo felt it too. He let out a shaky breath and glared at them.

"If you came here just to give information, then why did you attack us?" Kyo spat. The men opened their mouths briefly and then shut them.

"You came here to kidnap." I hissed, rage surging through me which only surged through Kyo too. We were becoming possibly one of the strongest fighting duos and we hadn't even begun to hurt these men yet. I narrowed my eyes and glanced at Kyo. He gave a slight nod and before the men could interpret it, we launched ourselves forward, attacking and fists swinging. My fist collided with the first man's jaw. "You can go back to my father with the bruises I'm about to give you!" I told him, punching him so hard his nose broke with a loud crack! "He'll understand what he's dealing with then." I did a backhand spring to move out of the way of a sloppy punch aimed at nowhere in particular. I landed on my feet, glancing quickly at the wall beside me. I ran over, leaping and taking a few steps up the wall before thrusting myself off and kicking the man in the face while doing a back flip and a 360 simultaneously. Yeah, I did do some hardcore training while in that cell. The man was knocked out and I focused on the second man whom Kyo was fighting. Kyo's cheek looked as though it had been punched, but the other man was much worse. I took a few steps in advancement on the pair to join the fight when a hand grabbed my foot. Startled, I lost balance and fell to the ground. I was hit in the face, hard. Black spots enveloped my vision, and I heard a shout from Yuki and Kyo, and a shriek from Tohru. Once I heard Tohru, I whipped around, kicking my feet in the air randomly in hopes of hitting the man. My feet met their mark, hitting the man right where the sun don't shine, and getting on my knees. Evidently, i hadn't kicked that hard as the man shot forward, head-butting me in the stomach and flattening me to the ground. He straddled me, pinning me underneath him. He placed a hand around my throat, blocking off air from my lungs. I began choking, hiccuping, gasping for oxygen that I was slowly being deprived of. My eyes were wide, and they squeezed shut every time I blinked. Kyo was shouting something to me, but I couldn't hear. The black spots began returning, and my legs began going numb under his tight grip.

"You know, I used to think you were pretty and maybe worth while." the man hissed. With what little strength I had left, I worked up a bit of saliva an spat it at him.

"Pervert." I hissed through gritted teeth. He squeezed on my neck harder, and I stiffened more if it was possible, struggling for air.

Suddenly, the weight and pressure was gone. I lifted my head, gasping and trying to understand what was going on. As I looked up, someone had lifted the man and he kicked me straight in the face. I was knocked back onto the ground, a red cloud surrounding my sight. I turned my head slowly and saw a familiar white-and-black-haired male shoving the man against the wall. Haru! He punched the man in the chest, knocking the wind from him before spinning and delivering a kick so hard it left a crack in the wall behind the man's head. Rin and Tohru were at his side as Yuki and Kyo crouched next to me. The other guy must've run off at the sight of yet another attacker. I saw Haru shove both boys away and pick me up, bridal style. I felt weightless, my head lighter than a feather, and I hurt everywhere. I felt a cut right above my eye where the man had kicked, my lip was busted open, and one of my eyes was swelling shut. I had gotten them pretty good in the beginning, but you win some you lose some. I felt myself just beginning to lose consciousness as Rin spoke to me.

"Stay strong, we'll be home soon." she promised, and her words echoed in my ears. Those same words my mother used to sing in some sort of song to me when I was younger. The same song, the same words, I used to tell myself in that stupid cell. Stay strong.

_Stay strong._

* * *

"Those men were after her. They were working for her father, all close friends." the voice was explaining. "I'd seen them at the Main House more times than I could count." Someone else muttered something I couldn't catch, but being only half-conscious, I'm surprised I heard anything and remembered it. "No, Shigure sent us after you guys. He said that you were taking too long, something was up. And on top of that, a lot of crime has been occurring in the city lately, he didn't want to be too careful, and Hatori has some information." Again the voice echoed in the background. "No, he said he would share it when she wakes."

"I'm up." I muttered, recognizing Haru's voice as the explaining one. I opened my eyes, my vision slightly blurry, and saw everyone from the night before. My head was resting on Haru's lap as Rin brushed my long hair. Tohru sat next to Kyo, and Yuki was right next to Haru, watching me with brilliant purple eyes.

"You just can't stop pickin' fights, can ya?" Kyo asked, shaking his head with a smile. I smiled at him as he continued. "First it was at the school with those perverts, then with Akito, then with your dad's friends." he shook his head.

"She is troublesome." Haru agreed and I gave him a hurt look.

"I'm not the one that cracked a wall by kicking a guy's head into it." I pointed out.

"No, you broke the guy's nose, gave him a black eye, broke a few ribs, and bruised about every other bone in his body." Haru argued, and I looked away.

"Yeah, well, he pissed me off slighty kind-of sorta a little bit." I mumbled and the room laughed. "So, what information did Hatori need to give us?"

"Just wanted you to know that first, you're fairly stupid for taking those men on by yourself." a voice sounded, causing all heads to turn to the doorway where Hatori stood.

"I wasn't by myself!" I protested. "Kyo and Haru backed me up." Hatori sniffed and walked forward.

"Second," he ignored my protest. "Akito's very upset that you went to such lengths whilse beating up his guards." he glanced around the room.

"Guards?" I inquired.

"He's hired about 10 more. He's saying something about feeling vulnerable, and with your little fiasco last night, it only pushed his decision further. Hire too many guards, he'll get some very bad ideas."

"Bad how?" Tohru asked. Hatori fixed his gaze upon her.

"For the sake of your ability to feel safe, I'll keep that information to myself." he responded cooly.

"Great, now tell us why you're really here." I said, leaning back onto Haru's lap. Hatori smirked.

"You always have been able to read me to easily." he said. "There have been some complications at the Main House, for a few of the Zodiac. I- I no longer have a place there." The room gasped.

"Judt say that you all opposed Akito directly and tell us who all did." I said, examining a flower Rin was planning on putting in my hair. Hatori glanced at me once more.

"Any idea how she does that?" He asked Haru who shrugged. He sighed and continued. "Yes, some others and I all have defied Akito, as has everyone else living here including Rin and Haru. The others include Hiro and Kisa. As far as I know from the information I gathered before I left, Kureno has considered it, Ritzu is on his way here as we speak to find a place with me, and Ayame has prepared a meeting for his denial to Akito sometimes this week." Hatori sighed. "Which means he and Shigure will be too damn close for comfort."

"You can stay with us." Tohru offered.

"Tohru, your kindness is unwavering, and I appreciate the offer. ButI will be taking up a house just down the road to shelter the rest of us who are rebelling and being kicked out. You're welcome to visit whenever." his gaze fluttered over to me. "And so I can keep a better eye on her, she'll be coming with me. She needs to heal before picking yet another fight." I opened my mouth to object but he swept on. "You hadn't recovered all your strength from shifting into your other form. Then, you went and picked a fight. You could've kicked those guys into next week; I've seen the way you fight. You didn't have enough strength to balance the endurance you needed and you went down far too easily. You WILL stay with me." I glared at him, and he stared back with a serious gaze.

"Hatori, she's been doing fine here." Kyo argued. "Let that damn rat take care of her." This earned a glare from Yuki who also objected, only more politely.

"If I may, Hatori, she has been sleeping with me-."

"What?!" the room demanded and Yuki went red.

"I meant in my room!" he snapped, and the tension softened. My face was red and I buried it in Haru's shirt. "I've been keeping an eye on her."

"So it's your fault for not watching her and letting her escape so Akito could capture her." Hatori said, leaving Yuki dumbfounded.

"Hatori!" I hissed. "I'll go with you if you shut up." He nodded to me.

"Good, go pack." he said. "We leave in 10. Say goodbye." He picked up his jacket and left, leaving me to storm up the stairs.

"Sage." I heard Har groan, and the others watched from the bottom of the stairwell as I went into Yuki's room and slammed the door. I quickly moved my clothes into a small bag when the window opened. I looked over and saw Kyo climbing through, shutting it behind him.

"Hey, you don't have to go ya know." he began, helping me fold my small amount of clothing and shove it in. "And even if you do, I'll come and visit you if you like. I'll bring Haru and that damn rat over too. Plus, you'll get to meet Kisa and Hiro. Hiro's a little brat but Kisa's sweet." I looked over at him and his eyes reflected my own sadness. The Lifelink. He felt it too. I hugged him, and he hugged back.

"Okay, bring Tohru and Yuki. And when I can, I'll come over and stay as long as possible." I vowed. He stopped hugging me as Yuki knocked on the door.

"Sage?" he called. "Can I come in?"

"I wasn't here!" Kyo hissed, retreating to the window and jumping out. I opened the door and returned to my bag, pulling it over my shoulders and walking past him.

"Sage, it isn't so bad." Yuki said as I walked down the stairs. I hugged Tohru, who game me a small bag of cookies. I smiled at her, and then hugged Shigure. He chuckled, hugging me back. I turned to Haru and Rin, hugging them both tightly, and Kyo joined for a group hug. I turned to Yuki with large, sad eyes. He hugged me, and sighed as though he was giving up trying to comfort me. "Stay strong." I stiffened at his words, but nodded. I nodded to everyone before laughing.

"What's so funny?" Kyo asked.

"I must seem so heartless." I said, giggling sadly. "You are all on the verge of tears and I can't even cry."

"Don't worry. If you're good, you can return soon." Hatori promised.

"We'll visit daily." Rin promised; Haru nodded, snaking an arm around her waist. I nodded, following Hatori out the door. We walked up the bluff, and I waved at everyone as they stood outside. They waved back, and I turned to follow Hatori to a new place.

_Stay strong._

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**_Well, what did you think? Please review!_**


	9. Chapter 8: Exchange for Nightmares

_**Here is Chapter 8! Enjoy!**_

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Ch 8

I'll be honest, lying there and staring up at the ceiling for hours on end three days in a row is not my definition of fun. No, it's actually Hatori's definition of healing. I don't know what that means exactly, but I was bored out of my damn mind. I started to make shaped on the roof out of little specks and dots that you wouldn't even notice unless you had sat there for three days. In a bed on the second floor of Hatori's house was where I was located. And I had already met Kisa, and Kyo was right. She was a sweetheart, bringing me meals and trying to keep my company as often as she could. Hiro was a jerk and I kind of hoped that maybe one day Kyo would just knock him out for me. All he did was criticize me about being in bed and making Kisa do all the work. Finally, I had asked him to be sure if he was the lamb. Once he confirmed it, I politely reminded him that I was a wolf and wolves regularly ate lamb. He shut up and had avoided me since. Ritzu was nice enough, although I was convinced that he was a SHE when I first met him, with the girl clothes and all. And then there was the constant screaming and apologizing and rambling on about the fact that he breathed the same oxygen as people and stuff. Yet, he wasn't half as bad as Ayame. What was that idiot Hatori thinking when he said that annoying bastard could stay here?! It was torture and hell combined and put into a single person with far too much personality. He was supposedly Yuki's older brother, and I instantly pitied him. Damn, no wonder he was so quiet, he must've had a long childhood. All I heard was constant yelling and crashing, and all I could do was lay in bed. Hatori wouldn't allow visitors, let alone let me visit, so I was stuck here. Rounding the fourth day, I pretty much could've cared less if I healed or not. I have patience, but it runs out and when it does I'm not to be trifled with. I didn't care what Hatori or anybody said. I had to go to Shigure's house and visit Tohru and everyone else. I threw the blankets off, swinging my legs off the edge and standing. I was a bit wobbly, having laid down for three days straight, but I quickly regained balance and opened my window. Smelling the air, I leapt out and jumped down to the ground. The wind swept through my hair as I walked down the bluff to Shigure's house, and it felt as though I hadn't been outside in years. I knocked, letting myself in, and looked up as gasps shrouded the room.

"Sage!" Tohru said, running up and hugging me. Three days ago I would've squealed from the injuries I'd received. I guess I was healing, sort of.

"Hey guys." I said, waving to the table as Tohru led me over.

"Hatori let you come?" Haru asked, frowning with curiosity.

"Well, if you call sneaking out through a window 'letting me come' then yes, I suppose he did." I said, sipping the tea as Tohru brought it to me.

"So you snuck out like I would've." Rin said, slapping me on the back. "Good for you."

"So why'd you come here?" Kyo asked.

"I don't have any other friends besides here and Hatori's." I shrugged, then frowned. "Well, my only friend over there really is Kisa. And I wouldn't call that a friendship. One of them just apologizes and cross dresses, another is a pain in the ass, and the third is a loud-mouthed adult who acts like he's 12 and has a case of ego-inflation."

"That would be my brother." A voice said, and I turned to see Yuki.

"Yeah, no offense, but your brother needs an off-switch." I said.

"If it existed, I'd superglue him in the off position." Yuki said, rolling his eyes. "So, Hatori let you go."

"Of course not!" I scoffed. "I snuck out. He wouldn't let me come here if my life depended on it."

"It very well may, which is why you should be in bed resting." Another voice cut in, and everyone save for me flinched backwards at Hatori's voice; I slurped my tea.

"You should be a little quieter about your entrances." I suggested.

"You should listen to my rules while living under my house." He retorted. I laughed.

"You call that living?" I demanded, turning to him. "I was taken against my will and forced to stay in a room for three days. I'm putting that under the category of being kidnapped." I slurped my tea again. "Besides, you're a doctor, you should know what happens if I stay unproductive for that long."

"I can't say I do." he said, folding his arms and I looked at him again.

"Really, you never read the log they kept on me in the cell?"

"That's 8 years worth of reading, so yes, I'll admit I put it off." he said.

"Well, here's a hint." I said, standing and glaring. "Take your worst nightmares, multiply it by ten hundred, add it to a coma, and it sounds like what happens to me. I fall into a deep sleep that's nearly impossible to pull me out of. All that happens is one nightmare after another, only getting worse and worse. I scream, I kick, I fight in my sleep. Only one person has seen this happen and been able to pull me from it." I pointed at Haru who stood too.

"And let me tell you that it took two and a half days to get her back." Haru snapped. "I'm not going to let you do this to her."

"Well, this little excursion should've been enough exercise to put that off for a few more days of rest then." Hatori said. "You were almost recovered. If you had stayed one more day in bed-."

"I would've slipped into a coma of nightmares." I finished.

"That won't happen." he said matter-of-factly.

"I'll make you a deal." I said. "If I go back to your place for the rest of the day and don't slip into that thing by tomorrow night, I'll stay at your place as long as it takes to heal without moving or breaking the rules. If I do, not only will you get the job of pulling me out, but I get to return here and stay with Yuki and the others, deal?" There was a brief moment of silence.

"Deal." Hatori said, and we shook hands. He helped me to my feet and I set down my cup.

"Thanks Tohru for the tea." I said. "It was fantastic." I let Hatori lead me away, and I followed without a word.

* * *

I spent the rest of the night awake, and it wasn't just to prove Hatori wrong, but I had called it. This restlessness I was feeling, the urge to move, to hunt, to go outside. I knew that I had hours remaining before this coma thing took over my mind. Another screw-up from the scientists. Seeing as how I was a wolf, and Akito need me to have large amounts of energy, I had to stay active. I believe the original con of me not moving for long periods of time was just a nightmare, but they really screwed this one up. I mean, how do you go from a nightmare to a coma full of nightmares?! Seriously, I swear that all the scientists were drunk when they altered me. Anyway, from what I gathered from this happening before is that if someone is constantly with you, pushing you out of the coma just by whispering encouragement into your ears, it ends a lot quicker. If I had to let it run naturally, well, I know from my time in the cell that it could last up to two weeks. Not fun, let me tell you. And with people like Tohru who care about me and worry easily, I didn't know if the risk was worth taking, this deal. Yet, I lay awake, knowing that I was right the entire time and soon, at some point tomorrow, I would be screaming in both reality and in my dreams.

* * *

Rin and Haru walked back from the school late, having to stay after to finish a multitude of tests. They walked hand-in-hand, and Rin spotted Hatori's house just up the road.

"Want to go visit Sage?" she asked.

"Hatori won't let us." Haru replied.

"Screw Hatori." Rin replied, dragging her boyfriend up to the house and knocking. Hatori appeared at the door. Rin pushed her way past him, dragging Haru along too. "We're going to see Sage." she announced, walking up the stairs and not waiting for an answer. Haru looked at her and she smiled, opening Sage's door and walking inside. Rin looked down at Sage, seeing her sleep peacefully in her bed. "Haru, come look at how peaceful she is." she said, and Haru walked over. As soon as he saw Sage, he stiffened, and placed an ear on her chest. He straightened quickly.

"Go get Hatori, tell him that she's slipping right now, and she's not breathing. Then, run and alert Shigure and Tohru." He ordered, and Rin ran down the stairs, frightened.

"Hatori!" she screeched. He came rushing around the corner. "Sage is slipping into the coma and she's not breathing." Hatori's eyes widened and he grabbed a small bag before racing up the stairs. Rin ran out the door, sprinting for Shigure's house as fast as she could. Being the horse, she had incredible speed, and threw the door open. "Sage is slipping into the coma!" she announced between gasps. "And she's not breathing!" Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki were out the door and following Rin and she sprinted back to the house. They all ran up the stairs and into Sage's room, which already had Ritzu, Ayame, Kisa, and Hiro in it. Hatori was bent over a sleeping Sage who was sweating and gasping, gripping Haru's hand who sat in a chair next to her bed. Hatori stood abruptly, turning and facing everyone.

"She's breathing again, but Haru will have to coax her out again." He slapped his palm to his forehead. "Stupid bet." he muttered, then sighed and looked up. "I'm going to make you all some tea since you're so shaken up, so get downstairs." He nodded to Haru. "Take care of her; Rin will bring you some tea." With that, everyone filed out leaving Haru to gently squeeze the hand of his best friend who was lost in a never-ending nightmare.

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_**Left you with a cliffy! Please, review what you think!**_


	10. Chapter 9: Awakening and Prayers

_**Hey guys, sorry about the late update! Here's chapter 9!**_

* * *

I was locked in one nightmare after another. Horrible, terrible dreams that could plague me for life. They only worsened as I remained frozen in this place. The dreams had started simple, myself dying, being isolated, alone without someone to love, small fears that I rarely considered. Yet it gradually worsened, Kyo having the crap beaten out of him by my father. Yuki tied up and tortured, and I got to watch full scenes of both. I knew I was crying as I slept, there was no way I couldn't, and it only got worse. How many ways can I watch Tohru die? Rin? Haru? Torture, plague, set on fire, murdered, the list never ended. I watched Hatori, Kisa, Yuki, Kyo, anyone close enough to me that I considered a friend, get ripped from my grasp and thrown behind bars, stuck in a cell. Then, came a hauntingly familiar place. I was stuck in the same cell that held me for 8 years. The one thing I feared most was going back there, and here I was. I screamed, and I knew anyone next to me could hear it too. I thrashed around and tried to find my way out. The little hole I'd used to escape was still there, but when I attempted to escape, I was suddenly in Akito's room. He only smiled, pulling a knife from one of his long sleeves. My eyes widened, and I ran away with fear, but it wasn't me he was after. Instead, he removed a blanket to reveal Yuki, on his knees and wrapped up in rope, a gag in his mouth. Akito grinned at me as Yuki looked at me with pleading eyes. I jumped forward but Akito slashed at me, sending me sprawling backwards. I jumped once more, missing as Akito tripped me, and I fell out the window. The ground never caught me, I just kept falling and falling. Down into a place where darkness consumed everything. A choking, thick, black darkness with no way out, and no light. I looked around only to spot a pair of red eyes. My true wolf form stared at me, much larger than myself. It's fangs were bared, the red aura surrounding it as though it were on fire. Claws were long and curved, fur was matted and jagged as though it had been attempted to be cut. It was covered in scars, gashes, bruises, and long scratches and I assumed this is what my form either looked like, had looked like, or will look like. Suddenly, it had disappeared and was replaced by the moon. No, the moon? That couldn't be right, it was supposed to enhance fear. Then, the moon became larger and larger, spiraling down towards me. I howled in fear, realizing that I was now in my wolf form with my legs binded together. There was no escape, and my hope was literally going to come crashing down on top of me.

* * *

Haru hadn't left Sage's side since the night prior. His hand was firmly clamped in hers, and his head was on his shoulder as he slept. Every time she moved, jerked, screamed, or cried out, any movement or noise she made, jolted Haru awake and he instantly comforted her. Rin, Kyo, Yuki, and Tohru all slept in the room, each having a personal bond with Sage and refusing to leave. Hatori checked in periodically, shaking his head and muttering about how this was his fault. He would then leave, only to return with food for all the kids in the room. During the day, everyone went to school except for Haru and Hatori, who both refused to leave. Haru was neither white nor black but a mixture. If anyone disturbed Sage, touched her, hurt her, he snapped and was instantly on his feet and ready to beat people. Other than that, he was kind, attentive, listening, and his laid-back self, yet still ready to spring. He was watching Sage every waking hour, not moving every sleeping hour, and never did he let go of her hand. He was determined to pull her through this one, and keep her out of it. Once Hatori had calmed Sage the first night, Haru had attacked, and thanks to Kyo and Yuki Hatori still walked. Haru only watched her, now awake, and didn't move a muscles save for breathing and blinking.

"Hey." a voice said, and Haru turned to see Kyo. "How's she doing?"

"She's pulling through, her screaming and outbursts occur less frequently; she should come out of it soon." Haru said, looking back to the girl. "Hey, wait, why aren't you getting her emotions from the dreams?"

"The Lifelink doesn't work with dreams." Kyo explained. "Otherwise we'd have TWO people in a coma." Haru chuckled with the orange-head, a hollow laugh with no meaning. The pair sat in silence, until a tiny cough interrupted them.

"H-Haru?" the voice was barely audible. "K-Kyo?"

"Sage?" Kyo demanded, standing as Haru did. "You're awake!"

"Is everyone o-okay?" she asked.

"Only worried about you." Haru, said, turning to Kyo. "Go tell the others." He hardly got the sentence out before Kyo was out the door and jumping down the stairs, shouting.

"She's awake! Guys, she's awake!" He was yelling so loud Haru was surprised the other weren't deaf before the door burst open and everyone flooded in. Hatori pushed his way through and examined the girl.

"If you stay in bed for the rest of today and through the night, you can go back to Shigure's tomorrow." he said.

"You mean I can't sneak out the window and go that way?" Sage asked, causing a laugh that was more relieved than anything.

"I do owe you an apology." Hatori said.

"Shut up." Sage mumbled. "I don't want to hear it, it's fine. Thank Haru if anything; this is the fastest I've come out of this." Haru ducked his head under the numerous thanks and praise he received.

"Well, only for a friend. Haru replied, and Sage hugged him from her immobile position, and Hatori smiled.

"Yes, Haru, we thank you for bringing her from her position." Hatori said, and Yuki sat on the bed next to Sage.

"Sage, you're okay." he breathed. "You were screaming and twitching around a lot." Sage shrugged.

"It's not something I can exactly control." she explained. "The nightmares have a way specifically designed to work their way into my mind and stick themselves there, finding my deepest fears or secrets and unearthing them. Not exactly my best dream, I'll admit. I flinched away from bad things occurring in my dream probably, and the screaming was out of fear I guarantee."

"What matters is that she's ok!" Kyo announced firmly, earning nods of approval around the room.

"You are okay?" Kisa asked, and Sage held her hand.

"Yes, I'm going to be just fine with plenty of rest." she promised solemnly. Hiro looked from behind her. "Ah, finally gotten done being afraid of me?" she asked, and Hiro ducked.

"Shut up, I'm not afraid." he muttered.

"You avoided her the entire time she was here." Hatori and Ayame argued in unison. Laughter filled the room as the blushing boy made his escape, dragging Kisa with him.

"Well, let's let her sleep." Haru said, standing with dark circles under his own eyes as Sage's closed.

"I'd like to stay here with Miss Sage." Yuki said, and Haru's eyes darkened.

"I said, 'let's let her sleep.'" he repeated what he'd said, glaring at the older boy. "That means everyone get your ass out so she can rest. Even you, Yuki." Everyone filed out of the room per Haru's request, some more reluctant than others, and Sage slept soundly, peacefully, and more unmoving than the past couple of nights.

* * *

"It's good to be back." I admitted, looking around Yuki's room. "I did miss this house."

"So Hatori's house is going to be refuge for anyone that is of the Zodiac and rebels?" Yuki asked, sitting on his bed.

"Yep. It's open to all, and he's been having some men build onto the sides for extra rooms." I replied, looking out the window at the setting sun. Only a small portion was peeking over the horizon, and the orange and red rays across the sky were beautiful against the darkening purple clouds.

"Tohru's called us to dinner." Yuki announced from the door. "Are you coming?"

"I'll be a minute." I said, listening to his footsteps pound down the stairs. I climbed onto the roof, pulling myself up and watching the moon as it pulled itself slowly over the horizon on the other side. I smiled, watching it. "You were my hope, my guidance, my strength. All those years..." I faltered, remembering and shuddering at the horrifying memories of being in a cold cell of nothing but the moon or the pitch black that surrounded me. "You weren't always there, the New Moon or clouds appearing, but when you were, you were. I noticed, I felt your presence through those stone walls. You're here now, too. Watching, listening, waiting for another chance to help. Thank you. Thank you for everything, and I hope that you'll watch over the other Sohma's in the future. They'll need it, as a time of war and violence is approaching. We can't avoid it, but you can definitely help us. Please, guide us and supply us with the strength, courage, and determination to help us. The willpower, the know-how, and also the reasoning behind our motives so we stay true." I nodded, climbing back down and racing down the stairs. "I hope you haven't eaten my fill!" I called. "'Cause I will hurt you!"

"Sorry!" Kyo hollered back, and I ran to the table and saw nothing was gone. "Gotcha!" he said, and everyone laughed. I looked hurt, but sat down.

"My food is my food, I will fight you." I warned. More laughter erupted.

"Let's save the fighting for later and just eat." Shigure suggested, and there was no argument as everyone dug in."

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_**Was it good? Please review!**_


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